Hat manufacture



July 10, 9 E. H. EAKLAND HAT MANUFACTURE Filed May 5, 1947 INVENTOR.fdward ff, Eafilmzd ATTORNEYS Patented July 10, 1951 HAT MAN UFACTUREEdward H. Eakland, Sherman Oaks, alii., as-

signor to Hat Corporation of America, Norwalk, Conn, a. corporation ofDelaware Application May 5, 1947, Serial No. 746,056

'This invention relates to a novel hat construction and the method ofmaking the same.

Hats as now generally constructed are provided with a trim of ribbon orbinding about the edge of the brim and/or a, band about the crownadjacent the brim. These ribbons have a con- 'trasting appearance whichmay be produced by a contrasting color, contrasting shade or contrastingtexture. The diiiiculty with ribbon trim, however, lies in the fact thatthe colors fade or change color during the cleaning or renovating of thehats and become unsightly.

-Efforts have been made to overcome this by sewing a felt welt of acontrasting color around the edge of the brim or by felting a strip onthe top surface of the brim adjacent the edge. These have not beensatisfactory since they do not provide the required pleasing appearancein the hat. In the first instance, the joint between the welt and brimand the stitching showed on the undersurface of the brim, and in theother case, the color was only on the upper surface so that if the brimwas worn in its upturned position its effect was lost.

Also, efforts have been made to eliminate the ribbon band on the hataround the crown by providing a fur felt strip. This has been moresuccessful. However, it required a substantial amount of skilled laborin properly constructing the felt band and applying and fitting it tothe hat.

The present invention eliminates these prior difficulties and provides ahat in which the edge of the brim has a distinctive characteristic ineither color, shade or texture, which edge overlies the edge of the brimon the top and bottom surface and is formed integral therewith, so thatit has the same effect whether the brim of the hat is snapped down orworn in its upturned position and no line of jointure or stitching isshown.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of an integralcontrasting raised band disposed about the crown adjacent the brim toreplace the band.

A further feature of the invention resides in the method of making thehat wherein the brim is provided with an integral contrasting edge and/or an integral contrasting band.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the specificationand claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a hat body with the edge strip and the band in positionthereon.

5 Claims. (Cl. 2-194) Fig. 2 is a section along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a section along lines 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows the finished hat with the integral edge and band inposition.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 after the final felting operation iscompleted.

Fig.' 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 after the final felting operationhas been completed.

As is shown in the drawings, the hat of the present invention is a feltbody shaped to proedge is stippled heavier than the body to forciblybring out the contrast between the two.

The contrasting edge as shown in Fig. 6 is integral with and merged intothe material of the brim so that no seams or stitches are present andextends over the upper and lower surface of the brim, as would a ribbonbinding, so that if the front of the brim is snapped down as is usual,

the edge will have the same appearance as'the sides and'back which arenot snapped down.

If it is desired to eliminate the separate band around the crown, thiscan be accomplished by providing the hat with an integral contrastingfelt band [3 extending around the crown adjacent the brim. Thiscontrasting band may contrast in color, shade or texture as required.When the hat is provided with this band made of fur felted thereto, asshown in Fig. 5, to become integral therewith, any fading will begradual and uniform so that its presence will less likely be detectedand the colors of the fur band will remain fast throughout the use ofthe hat.

In making a hat such as shown in Fig. 4 having both the integralcontrasting band and edge, a conical hat body M of loosely interfeltedfur or fur-mixed fibers is formed which is normally 28" high and 30" atthe base. This body is put through a starting process which begins tofelt the fibers and the cone shrunk down to a size of approximately 22"high and 24" at the base.

If the contrast is to be one of shade, the body is formed from one shadeof fur and the trim from a different shade of fur, and the body dyed asa whole after the strips are made integral therewith, thus producing twoshades of the same color.

If the contrast is to be one of color, the fur of the body and the furof the felted strip are sap- I6 to the edge of the cone so that itoverlies the inside and outside surfaces thereof in the manner shown inFig. 3 and if the hat is to" be provided with an integral band, a stripI I ofpartially felted fur fibers, preferably having its surface napped,is disposed around the cone, as-shown" in Fig. 1, at a predetermineddistance from the bottom of the cone, and is temporarily secured theretoby basting or stitches I8 to hold it in place, as shown in Fig. 2.

After the strips are temporarily secured the hat body is hardened andshrunk to its final size and the stitches. removed. In hardening andshrinking the assembled body to the final size. the edge, becomes feltedinto an integral part of the brim, as shown in Fig. 6; the band becomesfelted into-an integral raised band on the crown, as shown in Fig. 5.

The hat is then shaped to form the crown and the brim with the bottom ofthe band extending around the crown and disposed adjacent the joint ofthe crown to the brim.

While the hat and method have been herein illustrated and-- described inconnection withan integral contrasting edge and an integral contrastingband, it is to be understood that either can-be usedseparately as may berequired.

Variations and modifications can be made within thescope of thisinvention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I;claim:

1. A furfelthat having a felt crown and a flexible feltbrim-therearound, a contrasting integral felt band extending around thecrown adjacent the brim and an integral contrasting felt edge extendingaround the brim and overlying the upper and lower faces of the brimadjacent the edge.

2. A fur felt hat havinga felt crown and a flexible feltbrimtherearound, an integral felt band of a contrasting color extendingaround the crown adjacent the brim and an integral felt edge of the samecontrasting color as the band extending around the brim and overlyingthe upper and. lower faces of the brim adjacentthe edge.

3. A fur felt hat having a felt crown and a flexible felt brimtherearound and an integral felt edge of contrasting color extendingaround the brimand overlying the upper and lower faces of the brimadjacent the edge whereby the contrasting color shows in turned up ordown positions 01 the brim.

4. The method of making a hat, which includes the steps of forming acone shaped hat body composedof loosely interfelted fur fibers;partially shrinking. the body; applying a contrasting band. ofpartially-felted fur fibers to the outer surface of the body at apredetermined distance from the edge thereof; applying a strip ofcontrasting partially-felted fur fibers to the lower edge thereof tooverlie the inner and. outer surface of the body; hardening andshrinking the composite body to final size; and forming the body into ahat having a crown and brim with the bottom of the contrasting banddisposed adjacent the brim.

5. The method of making a hat, which includes thesteps of forming a hatbody composed of loosely interfelted fur fibers; partially shrinking thebody;- applying a contrasting band of partial,- ly felted fur fibers tothe outer surface of the body at a predetermined distance from the-edgethereof; hardening and shrinking the composite body to final size; andforming the body intoa hat-having a crown and brim with the bottom of ofthe band disposed adjacent the brim.

EDWARD I-I- EAKLAND;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 497,085 Yule et a1. May 9, 18931,246,917 Haugh Nov. 20, 1917 2,284,854 Wall June 2, 1942 FOREIGNPATENTS Number; Country Date 368,633 Great Britain Mar. '10, 1932

